Microneedling in aesthetic medicine

Friday, 20 August 2021 01:31 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Derma roller

By Dr. Harsha Jayakody

Microneedling is a minimally invasive safe aesthetic treatment method, which uses very short and thin needles to puncture the outermost layer of the skin, called epidermis. This treatment method was introduced a few decades back in the early ’90s.

Microneedling can be used on all types of skin and it gives clinical results almost immediately. It is commonly used for skin rejuvenation in anti-aging treatments, acne and other scarring, pore treatments, melasma, pigmentations, hair loss and many other cosmetic related skin conditions.

Microneedles only make micro-puncturing on the thin epidermis without ever piercing the next layer of the skin – the dermis layer. This action of micro-puncturing stimulates the wound healing mechanisms in the body at the same time initiating the natural growth of brand-new cells. Various growth factors and connective tissue-activating proteins are released to the affected area following the treatment. It also increases the number of fibroblast cells, effectively regenerating a new connective tissue layer. Ultimately, the microneedle treatment leads to a healthy skin with an enhanced texture. Physicians advise 3-4 treatments to be done one month a part.

The skin

Microneedling utilises specialised devices such as Derma rollers, Electric derma Pens and also devices with specific techniques such as Derma-stamping and Dermafrac equipment. The ‘needles’ used with methods are only 0.2 mm to 3.0 mm long, as they are only intended to slightly puncture the thin outermost layer of the skin.

Derma rollers use fine gauged needles attached to a cylindrical surface. They piece the skin on an angle when the roller is pushed over the skin. The quality of the derma rollers depends on the materials used, needle length, needle diameter, and the number of the needles attached to the roller. The diameter of stainless-steel needles used in derma rollers is less than 0.15 mm. Too much pressure, speed and incorrect technique may cause tearing of the epidermis skin layer.

Comparatively, electric derma pens are easier to handle and they can be used around all facial contours. It has adjustable settings to control the speed and the depth of needle penetration. Derma pen causes negligible pain compared to derma roller because of the vertical angle of penetration. In Derma-stamping, microneedles are used with a serum, enzyme or chemical solution specially to treat wrinkles, scars and stretch marks. DermaFrac is a combination of microneedling with microdermabrasion, serum infusion, and phototherapy. The treatment time with DermaFrac is a bit longer compared to other methods as it consists of a combination of different modalities.

Microneedling is becoming a popular aesthetic treatment modality because of its safety, minimal invasiveness, and rapid effectiveness, when performed by a qualified and experienced medical physician.

Derma roller and Derma Pen

(The writer is a Cosmetic Physician and is a MBBS (Sri Lanka), MBA (Malaysia), MSc (Sri Lanka), Member of American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine (AAAM).)